opera and concerts in london and beyond

San Francisco Opera

18 June 2008

Just a quickie from the openimg night of Lucia di Lammermoor at the San Francisco Opera, where after a wobbly start Natalie Dessay stormed through the title role, every note in place, with exquisite poise and total control. If she (surprisingly) wasn't 100% convincing dramatically, that was down to the production, curiously static, rather undirected, set entirely on a heather carpeted 'Scottish moor' that looked more like the rough end of a car park. Jean-Yves Ossonce's sluggish pacing hardly helped. Giuseppe Filianoti as Edgardo pushed like he was about to lay an egg, sounding severely strained and compressed rather too often, but his tail-wagging enthusiasm lifted the production every time he came on stage.

An entertaining evening, but with nothing else up to La Nata's standard, it made me appreciate just how good David Alden's much less starry recent production at the ENO really was. Full report and pictures later.

I've ensured maximum distance by temporary emigration to San Francisco, where today I chanced on California's first gay wedding, a historic occasion attended by thousands. No, not the couple at the top of the page, which is where I had my money, but the two adorable ladies pictured below, 83 year old Phyllis and 87 year old Del, gay rights pioneers who've been together for 50 years. Even the cops were smiling (sort of).